The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-11-14

them, then let them have it, provid-
ed that the Government is free from
debt, and does not need the money
for the bona fie purposes Of
the Government, for Governments
like individuals must be just before
they give away their substance, and
it is fair to suppose, that If the
question of gift, or no gift to these
pensioners, were submitted to n
vote of the whole people of this
Kingdom, not one in fifty or hundred
would vote to give them anything;
and If forty-nine in every fifty
should vote to give their money 10
these pensioners, and the fftieth
man should vote against 1t, then the
legislators could not, without vio-
latlon of the trust reposed in them,
give away any of this mans money.
Thousands of taxpayers in this
Kingdom live by the sweat of their
brows, and can barely support
themselves and families and pay
their taxes, and is it honest, is it
just, that they and their wives and
children should be compelled 10
give the fruit of their honest toll TO
these pensioners, many, if not all of
whom are already rich and enjoying
large incomes from business and
property, as it is said, and no doubt
truly, and are also active business
men, and not in need of the assis-
lance of the poor and needy tax
payers. Law, reason, equity, all,
cry to heaven and say, No! these
pensioners shall have no more Of
these poor peoples money, to re-
plenish their already Overlooking
Golfers
IL fine Government were in con-
ditions to make gifts, To any Of its
people, hut il is not, and if the leg
islature had the power, but
it does not, to make gifts OF
public moneys to individuals,
then such gifts should be made to
the most deserving, and the most
poor and helpless and needy; and
neither one of these pensioners
comes within any of these detini-
tons, to say the least, and cOnse-
quently could take nothing, TO aug
ment their plethoric stores. | mean
no disrespect to any OF these pen
sioners, and they may all be clever
and respectable persons, but there
is a principle involved in this matter,
and which lies at the foundation of
all good Government, and which
rises above all mere personal con-
sideratons. 1t is n maxim Of the
schools, that equality is equity"
and equity means justice; and there
is no more equality or equity in Civ
ing the money of the poor and the
needy Hawaiians to these pen
sioners, than there would be in CIV
ing the money of these pensioners
to these same poor and needy Ha-
waiians. If it be said that these
pensioners held offices of public
trust, and discharged their duties
faithfully, the answer will be, that
no man is to he praised for doing
his duty. 1t is the duty of every
man to do his duty, and these pen
sioners were well paid for all they
did, and became rich by the emolu-
ments of their offices, as it is said,
and no doubt truly, and some of
them left their offices reluctantly,
as it is said, by reason of the emolu-
ments of those offices, and they
ought to rejoice aud be thankful for
what they got, and have, and not
grasp for more, or even accept more
when they know it could only come
from the poorest, as well as the
richest taxpayer, and that in TAX
ing it from the poorest, wife and
children might be stinted or starved
for want of it. The Government is
in debt, and has not, for very
long time past, been able TO pay its
honest debts, and while these Gre
ditors (and many of them poor and
needy) have been postponed from
month to month, and some of them
from year to year, as it is said,
and many of them greatly damaged,
and some of them ruined (as
it is said) by the failures of the
Government to pay them their
honest dues, these pensioners have
all doubtless punctually appeared
at the public crib, and punctually
received every cent to which they
were entitled under the laws of gifts.
"Look then upon this picture and
look upon that?" These pensioners
walk proudly to the public Treasury
for their pensions, and the same, or
a greater number of the honest
creditors of the Government walk
to the portals of the public Treasury
at the same pmnctane of time to re-
ceive the money honestly due them,
and what next occurs? These honest
creditors are told to stand aside,
and they do so, and see these pen
sioners all receive their pensions
to the amount of hundreds and
of dollars, and after they
proudly walk away with their blood |
money, these creditors humbly take
the places so lately occupied by |
these pensioners, and humbly ask